Fury not locked to UK for Joshua fight, but Zuffa boxed out

Tyson Fury's signed contract to face Anthony Joshua contains no language requiring the fight to take place in the United Kingdom, according to a BoxingScene report, leaving the door open for renegotiation on the venue even as the superfight appears headed for a British stadium.

Joshua's contract tells a different story. His promoter Eddie Hearn told BoxingScene that the former two-time heavyweight champion's deal stipulates the bout must happen on UK soil. "I don't know what [Fury's contract] says about the venue. I just know what ours says: That, exclusively, the fight must take place in the U.K.," Hearn said.

Zuffa Boxing excluded from promotional role despite White claims

Both fighters have signed agreements naming Hearn and Frank Warren as promoters of record, with specific contract language barring Dana White and Zuffa Boxing from any promotional involvement, Hearn confirmed. White, who heads Zuffa alongside WWE president Nick Khan, told reporters last week he would be promoting the Joshua-Fury clash and hinted at a possible US location. Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh owns 60 percent of Zuffa Boxing and is bankrolling both fighters through their tune-up bouts and the eventual showdown.

Hearn speculated that Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas could be a Zuffa target, while two boxing officials told BoxingScene that Alalshikh floated SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as a potential venue. "Turki doesn't have to take over the fight. Turki is the fight," Hearn said at Friday's weigh-in for Jesse Rodriguez versus Antonio Vargas in Glendale, Arizona. "But specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show."

If Alalshikh wants to move the bout outside the UK, Hearn said the process would require fresh negotiations with Joshua's camp to amend the existing terms. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga on July 25, while Fury is scheduled to box August 1 in Dublin before the two former champions meet later in the year.

Source: boxingscene.com